Continental has appointed Gilles Mabire as its new chief technology officer (CTO), who will assume responsibility for global automotive research and development in the Automotive Technologies group by 1st January, 2022.
Mabire (49) has a degree in electronics and mechatronics and more than 25 years of cross-business international management experience in the automotive industry. Currently responsible for the Commercial Vehicles and Services business unit at Continental, he will succeed Dr Dirk Abendroth, who is leaving the company at his own request at the end of June 2021.
Until Mabire takes up his post, Michael Hülsewies (48), head of Continental’s architecture and software division, will temporarily take over the role of CTO. By the time Mabire assumes his new role, he will have completed key projects within the scope of the transformation process, which he initiated in the Commercial Vehicles and Services business unit as well as Smart Mobility.
Continental CEO Nikolai Setzer stated, “Gilles Mabire is ideally suited to this role, bringing with him a broad and exceptional customer understanding in addition to his technological expertise, particularly in the areas of electronic vehicle architecture and software.
“In addition to his technological expertise, particularly in the areas of electronic vehicle architecture and software, Gilles Mabire brings with him a broad and exceptional understanding of customers. It is this special interface between customers and technology, combined with his experience of business unit management, that will make him so valuable to Continental in his new role.
“I am also very grateful that Michael Hülsewies will provide support during the transition period with his drive, expertise and enthusiasm. In him, we have an expert at Continental who is playing a major role in shaping and advancing the transformation of software and data-driven vehicle architectures as well as cross-domain platform strategies,” added Setzer.
As CTO, Mabire will act as a central point of contact for customers and business partners for technology and innovation issues relating to the automotive business and will also be a member of the Automotive Technologies Board, reporting to Nikolai Setzer.
Other tasks as CTO, overseeing 17,000 engineers worldwide, include the further development of processes, methods and tools in research and development, with a focus on embedded software, and the development of high-performance computers as an essential component of future vehicle architectures.
